This is a course in Differential Calculus. Calculus is a very
important subject with applications in many areas and fundamental to
physics and engineering.

In this semester we will study limits, derivatives, and applications
to physics and in optimizations. The second semester deals with
Integral Calculus, but it is strongly related to the content of
the first semester.

eBook Access.
This is only for those who have already previously bought the
ebook for our course! If this is the first time you are taking
this course, you won't need this.

You can check due dates from WebAssign (or Blackboard, but if they
differ for some reason, trust WebAssign), but you will have HWs
mostly due on Mondays, so that you can ask for help on recitation on
Thursday and work during the weekend. I strongly recommend you
start working on it early! It will give you more time and will
help you keep up with the lectures!

You have 10 attempts to submit an answer (in WebAssign), but after
the third attempt, you are penalized with 20% of the value of the
question or part! (The point is that you should not guess!)

You can save an answer instead of submitting it. This will not
count as an attempt. But, do not forget to later actually submit
your answer! Saved answers are not graded!!

You can turn in late HWs. A request for extension in WebAssign
will be automatically granted:

The cut off date (to ask for extension and finish the late
HW) is 10 days after the HW is due. The only exception is the last
HW, for which the cut off date will be the day before the
final!

You can get up to three automatic extensions (within the 10 days
after the due date).

Each automatic extension granted will incur an extra
penalty of 10% of the remaining value of the question. (Parts
you've already answered on time and submitted will not be
penalized!)

Each automatic extension gives you two extra days from the date of
your request, as long as it stays within the cut off date (10 days
after the due date). So, if you ask for an extension after, say, 5
days of the due date, you will get another 2 days. If you ask for
an extension after 9 days and 23 hours from the due date, you will
get only one hour.

If you are having trouble with WebAssign, contact them
first! You can contact me if the problem occurs
close to the due date, in which case, if I can confirm the
problem, I can give you (or the whole class) an extension, but
in general I cannot help you with technical
difficulties.

In the past, there were a few problems that caused assignments to
be postponed due to technical problems with WebAssign, but keep in
mind that you should not leave things for the last minute.
Also, I strongly recommend you get a print out of the
assignment early. That way, you can work on the HW even if
WebAssign is down (and later just enter your results).

All HW assignments for the whole course are already
available, but the dates are still tentative! (You can start
at anytime.) So, watch the calendar on WebAssign for changes.

You will also turn in some extra problems directly to your TA every
once in a while. (Mostly problems that cannot be graded by the
computer.) You will be properly notified when these come
up. These cannot be turned in late, unless you get
permission from your TA in very special circumstances.

Note that I will drop the lowest HW score, so this should help with
any unexpected problem you might have to complete one of your
HWs.

Calculators will not be allowed in exams! Thus, you should
try to avoid using it in your HW too! You should only use it if
numbers get ``messy'', which I will make sure it will not happen in
the exam. This is a difficult decision as computer experimentation
can be quite useful. But I believe one should understand well the
process before delegating it to computers/calculators.

In my opinion, doing the HW is one of the most important parts of
the learning process, so the weight for them is greater than the
weight of a single midterm, and I will assume that you will work very
hard on them.

Also, you should try to come to my office hours (or your TA's) if
you are having difficulties with the course. We will do our best to
help you. Please try to come during my scheduled office hours,
but feel free to make an appointment if that would be impossible.

Finally, it is your responsibility to keep all your graded
Exams! It is very important to have them in case there is any
problem with your grade. You can check all your scores
at Blackboard.

There will be no make-up exams. If you miss an exam
and have a properly documented reason, your final will be used
to make-up your score.

The way this works is as follows: the points from the problems on
the final involving the sections of the corresponding midterm will
make your midterm grade. For example: let's say that you missed
Midterm 1, which, say, involved Sections 2.1-9 and 3.1-4. If
questions 1 to 3 of the final (which is comprehensive!) are the
questions from those sections and you get 24 out of 30 in those
questions, your Midterm 1 grade will 80 out of 100 (as 24 is 80% of
30).

I will assume you check your e-mail at least once a day. I
will use your e-mail (given to me by the registrar's office) to make
announcements. (If that is not your preferred address, please make
sure
to forward
your university e-mail to it!) I will assume that any message that I
sent via e-mail will be read in less than twenty four hours, and it
will be considered an official communication.

Also, communications on Blackboard's forums (see item below) are
considered official communication. Please subscribe to them or
check them at least once a day.

In Blackboard you will be able
to ask questions, answer surveys and send me feedback.

There are forums where you can post questions about math, the
course structure or Blackboard/WebAssign. (I've created a different
forum for each. Please use the appropriate one!) All other
students will also be able to read these and offer help. I
strongly recommend you subscribed to all, to receive email updates
when a new post appears! Things of interest to all might
appear there.

Lastly, there is also a link for (general) Feedback. (Please, also
subscribe to it.) Please, post all comments and suggestions there
as often as you want. (I really appreciate your input.) These
can be posted anonymously (or not). Just make sure to check the
option before posting! Others students and myself will be able
to respond and comment. If you prefer to keep the conversation
private (between us), you can send me
an e-mail, but then, of
course, it won't be anonymous.

All students should be familiar and maintain their
Academic Integrity:
from Hilltopics,
pg. 46:

Academic Integrity

The university expects that all academic work will provide an
honest reflection of the knowledge and abilities of both students and
faculty. Cheating, plagiarism, fabrication of data, providing
unauthorized help, and other acts of academic dishonesty are abhorrent
to the purposes for which the university exists. In support of its
commitment to academic integrity, the university has adopted an Honor
Statement.

All students should follow the Honor Statement: from Hilltopics, pg. 16:

Honor Statement

``An essential feature of The University of Tennessee is a
commitment to maintaining an atmosphere of intellectual integrity and
academic honesty. As a student of the University, I pledge that I will
neither knowingly give nor receive any inappropriate assistance in
academic work, thus affirming my own personal commitment to honor and
integrity.''

Calculus is a very important mathematical tool, with important applications
in Physics, Engineering and Statistics, among others. Virtually
all sciences use calculus, although some more visibly than others.
Students in Physics, Mathematics and Engineering should expect to
use it through out their studies.